Ever heard the Greek myth of Tantalus? It's about a man whose punishment is to forever sit in a pool of water. Every time he tries to drink from the pool it recedes just out of reach and he is unable to quench his burning thirst. As weird as it sounds, if game developers can do this well they've got a game with real staying power.

Far Cry 2 is great when it shoots from the hip, but the majority of the game is structured around a rinse-and-repeat mission structure that is predictable and, at times, laborious. To be clear, it's not the mechanics that get old (with the possible exception of driving).

Oblivion is a terrific game. It's big and beautiful. On the other hand, it's big and beautiful. Like its predecessor, Oblivion has a tendency to overwhelm. If you're used to walking away from a game with a sense of completion, be prepared to seek counseling.